Ladyhill, Quarry

Explorer Tom Countesswells Forest waits southwest of Aberdeen with broad trails, old estate trees and views that suddenly fling the countryside open. Some patches are being replanted after storm damage, so bring your curiosity: this is a wood in the middle of a comeback, and it has no intention of making a timid entrance. These woods once belonged to the Countesswells estate. Forestry and Land Scotland now offers three marked walks, each with a different mood. The Oak Tree Trail passes young native oaks, rowans and hawthorns through an area hit hard by storms. The Lime Avenue Trail follows newly planted limes into open spaces, where the view stretches across farmland towards Aberdeen. The longer Gairn Hill Trail keeps company with mature Scots pines and newer oak and aspen. Choose a route by your boots and your appetite. Oak Tree is about two kilometres, Lime Avenue about two and a half, and Gairn Hill about four and a half. Gravel helps underfoot, but roots, rocks and muddy sections have not been dismissed from duty; the routes also have slopes. Join paths for a bigger circuit if you fancy letting the forest settle an argument about how long a 'quick walk' ought to be. The entrance and charged car park are on the west side of the road between Kingswells and Cults, about a mile south of Kingswells; the nearest public toilets are in Cults or Kingswells. Check the operator's route details before setting off, especially after rough weather. Then take your time among the old pines and new planting. Countesswells lets you see a forest remembering its past while growing a rather cheeky future right in front of you.

Explorer Tom Hazlehead Park spreads a surprisingly country-sized patch of green across western Aberdeen, with woodland paths, gardens and a maze that has had decades to enjoy sending people the wrong way. Do not blame me if you come out at the same hedge twice; I have never claimed to be a reliable maze guide. The city's trail guide traces the land back to the old Freedom Lands granted to Aberdeen by Robert the Bruce. Sir Henry Alexander gave the planted maze, opened in 1935, and the park also holds formal garden spaces. Its most solemn place is the Piper Alpha memorial in the Queen Mother's Rose Garden, honouring the 167 people killed in the 1988 disaster. That memorial asks for quiet respect, not a joke. You can turn the park into a long walk through trees, a shorter garden visit or a careful search for the maze centre. Aberdeen City Council publishes a trail guide that helps visitors find the main features, and events sometimes bring crowds to the grounds. Give the memorial its space, then let the ordinary life of the park resume around it: paths, trees and families making a day outdoors. The park is at Hazlehead Avenue on Aberdeen's west side. Check the council's current guide and event information before travelling, especially if a particular feature is your aim. I would recommend carrying the trail map; the maze has been practising its tricks since before most of us were born.